The Central Packaging Register (ZSVR) has unveiled the 2026 minimum standard for recyclable packaging. This will enable companies to determine what proportion of their packaging can actually be recovered as recyclable material during the recycling process. According to the ZSVR, the calculation requires only a small amount of data and assesses all materials according to the same rules. The result is given as a specific percentage. From 2030, as a result of the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), only packaging that is at least 70 per cent recyclable may be placed on the market. The ZSVR went on to explain that the minimum standard, which is being issued in agreement with the Federal Environment Agency (UBA), is therefore becoming increasingly important.

Guidance on optimisation

The decisive factor for the recyclability of packaging is not what appears to be theoretically recyclable, but only what proportion by weight of the packaging can actually be recovered as recyclable material during the recycling process – minus any losses due to design. The minimum standard makes this proportion measurable. The 2026 edition further refines the methodology. “Sorting and recycling plants can only recover what the packaging releases. That is why the minimum standard only counts what actually ends up in the recycling process,” explained Gunda Rachut, Chair of the ZSVR. Companies already using the standard can assess where their packaging stands in relation to the European 70 per cent target. This gives companies time to optimise their packaging and design it to be suitable for recycling.

Open to innovation

The Central Office emphasises that the minimum standard does not require complex analyses. To determine recyclability, only straightforward information is required, including material, design parameters, barrier layers and their weights. The minimum standard assesses all packaging materials using the same methodology. It also avoids applying blanket bonuses or penalties that favour specific materials or packaging designs. At the same time, it remains open to innovation: companies can also have new materials or material formulations recognised as recyclable materials, Rachut continues.

Source: Central Packaging Register (ZSVR)